Search results for

Celeste Headlee of member station KNAU reports on a new classical work that incorporates Native American musicians, singers, and dancers. Guardians of the Grand Canyon, composed by Brent Michael Davis, honors the Havasupai tribe which owns a large part of the canyon.

NPR's Julie Rovner reports on the rising costs faced by HMOs participating in Medicare. Early indications from industry surveys suggest more companies than ever will pull out of the program for financial reasons, causing thousands of people to have to change their health care plans.

Robert talks to Ed Buttke of the Riverside Cemetery, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about the theft of American flags from the headstones there. The culprits: some very unpatriotic squirrels.

Anne Sutton reports from western Alaska on the political debate that could determine whether a family is able to survive. Many families in rural Alaska live off of fish from the rivers, berries from the trees and game from the mountains. Some residents say subsisting off the land is a tradition that keeps them alive.

Alan Cheuse reviews the book that won Italy's 1998 Elsa Morante Prize for a first novel: What We Don't Know about Children, by thirty-year-old Simona Vinci. It has been translated by Minna Procter and is just now published in English. (2:30) (What We Don't Know About Children is published by K

Leda Hartman reports on the 32nd annual Hollerin'Contest that was held recently in Spivey's Corner, North Carolina. The contest started as a fund-raiser for the volunteer fire department but has taken on life of its own. Before beepers and cell phones, hollerin' was an important way for rural folks to stay in touch.

Apart from its better-known roles in bluegrass and Dixieland, the banjo was once a sought-after status symbol in late 19th-century America. Young ladies learned to play parlor music on the banjo; there were banjo societies and banjo virtuosi; and manufacturers fought wars over who could make the fanciest banjos. On top of that, this was primarily a northern phenomenon. It's chronicled in a new book, America's Instrument: The Banjo in the 19th Century, by Philip Gura and James Bollman. Paul Brown reports. (7:45) (America's Instrument: The Banjo in the 19th Century is published by University of North Carolina P

Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker of Low talk with NPR's Lee Hale about their newest album HEY WHAT and how they're still finding their sound.

This week may be key for President Biden's ambitious climate goals. Congress is debating measures that are crucial for cutting carbon emissions and meeting U.S. obligations in the Paris climate deal.

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with the Wilson Center's Jean Lee about North Korea's testing of cruise missiles and about at how the country is handling COVID-19.